Yielding support for vehicle hose lines



April 4, 1961 R. R. GUNDERsoN YIELDING SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE HosE LINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LOM Filed NOV. 19, 1958 April 4, 1961 Filed NOV. 19, 1958 R. R. GUNDERSON YIELDING SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE HOSE LINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 `which the force can act. 'one embodiment of the Apresent inventionfthe base of United States Patent 2,978,217. *Y WELDING 'SUPPQRI For VEHICLE .HOSE Lm Ralph R. Gunderson, 552.0 South Shore Drive, Chicago, lll.

naar Nov. 19, 195s, senno. 775,052 6 claims. (ci. .24a-favori) way today are provided Awith air`bra-kes. Flexible air hoses are used to convey compressed air from the tractor to the brake .mechanism on the trailer, and it is convenient to .hold 4them upon an upright h'osesupport mountedMon the rear platform o'f the tractor. Preferably, 'the hose support is tiltable or yieldable. yTwo such yieldable vhose'supports are disclosed in my U.S. Patents Nos. 2,715,006 and 2,733,033.

In some yielding supports, toreturn to upright position when released from a`tilted position. This is caused by loss of leverage in the force being applied to swing the .staff back to its normal upright position. The ybase ofthe tiltable stati is laterally displaced so that there is no longer a lever arm through `In the illustrated structure of the tiltable staif .is prevented from becoming displaced even when the" staff is tilted a little beyond 90 vfrom its normal position.' `.In asecond .embodiment of the invention, structure is provided to afford increased leverage for .applied Vi'orce's sothat vthe stalf may ybe swung through an `even greater Aare and yet return to upright position when released.

The primary objecty ofthe present invention is to provide a new andirnproved.support-for vehiclehose lines.

@Another object `is lto provide a vehicle hose `support having a tiltable staff lwhich will recenter and reseat itself in upright position upon a lixed housing on the vehicie trarne after lbeing tilted.

A further object `is `.to provide 4ahose supporthaving a tiltable staff with a base portion which may be readily seated upon theopten bengl Vof a tubular housing hired to 1the tractor frame.

ythe tiltable staffs fail Another abject ist? provid@ ,s Hotel bass Platelfar connaissait @gambled Still another 'ect is @errer/ide ahsaesuppsrt Protoward upright posit' ".Yet another object 1sto `provide y:ahose V,support shav- `ing a `structure -which@willpreazentthe loss vof leverage in Vspringforces lurging the tiltabletaf Mto `upright position and whichwill permit thetiltable staff to be swung through the .maximum ...required `arc.

The; inventionis -fillustrated i r1..a.v preferredgernbodinient inane accompanying drawings. in '.whiene .a sideaslaratiasslrevisiterassassinati Fig. 1 a

2 with certain parts broken away to illustrate the internal structure of the support;

Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1, taken from the right of Fig. l showing additional'parts broken away; f Fig. 3, a sectional View taken as indicated on line 34,-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary side elevational view partly in section, showing the relative position of the parts when the staff is tilted;

Fig. 5, a sectional view taken as indicated on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; 'i Fig., 6, a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating a pin on the tiltable staff positioned'witliin a notch on the fixed tubular housing; Fig. 7, a sectional view taken as indicated on line 7--7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8, an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, similar to a portion of Fig. 2, illustrating a modified formfof the hose support; Fig. 9, an enlarged fragmentary view partly in 4section and similar to `Fig. 8 showing the staff being tilted so that the base portion oi the staif is about to bear against the auxiliary link to carry vthe link in a direction opposite to the direction of tilt; Y f Fig. l0, an enlarged fragmentarysectional view showing the stati at themaximumrequired tilted angle and illustrating the auxiliary link bearing against the base portion of the staif and affording increased leverage for the spring force to enable the staf:r t y'be returned to upright position; and I 'Fig` ll, a sectional view taken as indicated on line :i1-1i. of Fig. s.

ln the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l through 7, a fixed tubular housing l@ is mounted' in upright position, and iixedly secured, to a bracket i1 which intui'h is secured to the rear 'piatform of a tractor. As best seen in Fig. 7, the upper portion of the tubular housing 10 is provided with a plurality of studs 12 struck inwardly vfrom the lateral surface of the housing l0. The studs l2 function as bearing surfaces for the upper end of"`a strong coil spring 13 positioned within the tubular ho'using l0. lf desired, a washer 14 may be' provided intermediatethe upper end of the spring 13 and "thev studs `12. 'l

The lower end portion of the housing l0 is preferably provided with `three slots ida, 15b and 152:, as best shown in Figs. l and 5. Slot 15a is preferably -longerthaii the two slots 15b and lSc, which are arranged closer to each other than they are to the slot 15a, as shown yin Fig. 5. The slots are utilized to mount a base plate 16 which has a plurality of peripheral iingers or projections 17, 18, and 20, positioned a distance apart corresponding' to the slots 15a, 15b and 15e. It will be noted from Fig. "5 that the straight line distance between the outerextremities of the iingers l? and l is preferably slightly less than the inner diameter of the tubular housing"10. Such an arrangement permits the base plate lo to be angu- `larly inserted during assembly, linger 20 inserted iirst,'

through the lower open end of the housing 10 Vso that the -iingers l-7 and i8 may be positioned in the bottom ends of the two slots 15b and 15e which are closest together.` T he finger 20 may then be lowered' from an inclined position into the third and longest slot 15a, shown in Fig. l.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the coil spring 13 is provided at its Alower end with a follower 21 which is *connected to a tiltable tubular staff, generally designated 22., -by an elongated hook member 23. When in its normal position, the `coil Vspring i3 retains the follower 21 against, or closely adjacent, the base plate 16 so that vthe base .plated cannot become disengaged from the slots 1l-5 prior to attaching the hose support totlietraoton The tubular housing is conventionally secured to the bracket 11 and in turn to the platform of the tractor. To this end, a bolt 24 is passed through a central opening 26 in the base plate 16 and then through the bracket 11, and a nut 25 is provided to secure the parts together.

The tiltable stai 22 is preferably metallic and tubular and may have a protective cap 27 of rubber or other resilient material at its upper end. Brake hose holders, herein shown as rings 28 may be secured in a conven- `tional manner to an upper portion of the staff 22.

' The lower or base portion, generally designated 30, of the staff 22 is adapted to rest upon a narrow annular seat 31 at the upper end of the tubular housing 10. The lower part of the base portion 30 may be formed in a bulb-like projection from a pair of cup-shaped members 32 and 33 which may be spot-welded together. The members 32 and 33 are provided with aligned central openings of a size to permit them to be press-fitted about the lower end of the staff 22. The member 33 is then in turn press-fitted into a third cup-shaped member 34 which also has a central opening `making a tight fit with the outer surface of the staff 22 to form the base portion 30.

As best seen in Fig. 4, when the three cup-shaped members 32, 33, and 34 are fitted together, an upper annular shoulder 35 and a lower annular shoulder 36 are provided and define therebetween an annular groove 37 -having a convex outer surface. When the staff 22 is in upright position and in alignment with the tubular housing 10, the bulb-like proiection of the base portion 30 nests within the open end o f theY tubular housing 10 and the annular shoulder 35 rests upon the seat 31 of the housing 10.

The tiltable staff 22 is interconnected with the link 23 in the housing 10 by a chain-type link or loop 38 which is positioned within the lower end of the tubular staff 22 and encircles a pin 40 driven transversely through the staff 22.

As best seen in Fig. 6, the base portion 30 may be provided with an outwardly projecting pin 41 of a size to be received in a notch 42 at the upper end of the tubular housing 10. This arrangement assists in preventing the stati 22 from rotating on its longitudinal axis and properly positions the rings 28 for receiving and holding the vehicle hose lines. Although the pin 41 mav be vraised out of the notch 42 during tilting of the staff 22, it normally reseats in the notch 42 when the tilting forces are removed. If the pin 41 and notch 42 should get out of alignment, the staff 22 may be turned to realign them.

`The link or loop 38 may be held centered in the base portion 30. To this end, the link 38 is firmly anchored in place by a pair of opposed wedge members 43 which are driven into the lower end of the sta" 22 and occupy positions substantially as shown in section in Fig. 3. In addition to centering the loop 38, the wedge members 38 absorb the lateral thrust exerted upon the loop 38 when the staff 22 is tilted.

In order to assemble the embodiment shown in Figs. l through 7, the staff 22 and its base portion 30 are initially assembled as a separate unit. The spring 13 is then inserted into the tubular housing so as to rest against the inwardly struck studs 12 and the washer 14. and the follower 21 and its hook member 23 are then inserted. The spring is next compressed into the tubular housing l0, upwardly as seen in Fig. 2, and a pin is inserted in an opening 44 in the lower part of the housing 10 (as seen in Fig. l.) so that the spring is held in a compressed state. The base plate 16 is next inserted into the slots in the manner previously described, and the link 38 is engaged about the hook rnember 23 to interconnect the staff 22 and the housing 10. The compression of the spring is then released so that the follower 21 moves downwardly against, or closely adacent, the base plate 16 to retain the base plate in its slots in the lower ,end of the tubular housing 1o.

When the hose support of this embodiment is in use, and no lateral forces are acting upon the staff 22, the staff is normally in alignment withthe longitudinal axis of the housing 10, and the base portion 30 is fully seated upon the open end of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 2. When the staff 22 is tilted, as shown in Fig. 4, to attach the hose lines or for other reasons, the stati 22 is fulcrumed on the upper shoulders 35 and seat 31. During tilting, the bottom of the link 38 is lifted which raises the hook member 23 and compresses the strong coiled spring 13 between the follower 21 and the inwardly struck shoulders 12. When the lateral tilting force is removed from the staff 22, the bulb-like base portion 30 normally is recentered by the downward force of the compressed4 spring 13 and by the guiding action of the annular groove 37 so that the annular shoulder 35 re-engages the seal 31 ot' the housing 10.

If the'tilting force is sufficient to pivot the staff to the horizontal, the bulb-like portion 30 may be moved n a lateral direction so that the annular shoulder 35 no longer contacts the seat 31. In the first embodiment such lateral movement is almost immediately arrested by contact between the lower annular shoulder 36 and the upper edge of the tubular housing 10 so that leverage is maintained for the spring force acting through the hook member 23. Thus, when the tilting force is removed, the staff 22 is urged back to its upright position, and the bulb-like portion 30 rides downwardly on the convex surface of its annular groove 37 to automatically recenter itself upon the seat 31 of the housing 10. This recentering and reseatng feature of the bulb-like portion 30 assures that the staff 22 will never be disposed at an angle with respect to longitudinal axis of the housing 10 when tilting forces are removed provided that the angle of tilt is not so great as to cause` the lower shoulder 36 to slip laterally oif the seat 31 ofthe housing 10 so that the leverage of the spring force is lost.

In the structure of the second embodiment shown in Figs. 8 through 1l, a yielding hose support is provided having a tiltable staff which will return to upright position even when the staff is forced to swing through a most severe angle, as illustrated in Fig. 10. This result is accomplished through the provision of structural means which affords adequate leverage for the spring force tending to return the staff to upright position even when the base portion of the staff has swung completely out of and is displaced laterally of, the housing 10.

The tubular housing 10 and the base plate 16 together with the spring 13, its follower 21 and the elongated hook member 23 are preferably formed in the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 2 and are designated by corresponding numbers. The staff 22 and its loop 38 which is centered by the opposed wedge members 43 are also preferably formed as in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l through 7. However, a base portion 50 having a dilerent structural formation is provided at the lower end of the staff 22.

This base portion 50 has a lower part formed from a pair of dished members 51 and S2 which are peripherally spot-welded together in their adioining surfaces at 53. The dished member 51 is preferably provided with a depending cylindrical surface or peripheral wall 54 surrounding and spaced from the lower end of the staff l22 to afford a recessed chamber in the base portion 50 which extends into the upper end of the housing 10. The dished member 51 is constructed and arranged for cooperation with a link member to be described later.

The dished member 52 mav be in turn press-fitted into an inverted dished member 55 to complete the base portion 50. Central openings 56a. 56b and 56e are respectively provided in the three dished members 51, 52 and 55. Openings 561: and 56e are preferably of a size so that the dished members 52 and 55 make a tight press fit about the outer surface ofthe lower end of the stat! 22- to secure the base portion 50 to the stati'.

annular shoulder `57 rests upon its seat at the open end of the housing 10. Y

AIn the second embodiment, connecting means is provided in `the form yof an .auxiliary or connecting link 61 which joins the loop 38 to the upper end of the elongated hook .23. As herein shown, it is in the form of a chain link so that it is freely pivotable at its opposite or connected ends. Preferably, a reinforcing bearing or pressure plate 62 is provided encircling the connecting link 61 to lend added strength and to serve as a bearing surface for engagement with the lower end of the base portion 50, as will be more fully explained` later.

The purpose of the connecting link 61 is to provide adequate leverage lat all times for the spring force acting through the elongated hook 23 so that the staff 22 will be returned to upright position automatically in spite of the most severe tilt, as illustrated in Fig. 10. To illustrate further, assume the stati 22 is initially tilted in the manner shown in Fig. 9. The base portion 50 is initially pivoted on the seat at the open end of the housing and about a point on the upper annular shoulder 57. As the tilting continues, the point of pivot on the base portion 50 shifts across the annular groove 60 to the lower annular shoulder 58. At about this time, the lower end or annular pick-up surface of the dished member S1 picks up or bears against the pressure plate 62 of the auxiliary link 61. This is about to occur in Fig. 9. Further tilting then causes the lower end of the base portion 50 to swing the lower end of the link upwardly substantially axially of the housing lo and in a direction opposite to the direction of tilt (as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 9) so that adequate leverage for the force of the spring is maintained.

Even after the staff 22 is tilted beyond 90, as illustrated in Fig. l0, it'will be returned to upright position. In Fig. 10, the base portion 50 is shown displaced laterally and swung completely out of the housing 10. In this position the auxiliary link 61 is still bearing against the lower end of the base portion 5t) and affords a lever arm through which the greatly increased force of the compressed spring 13 may act. Thus, the auxiliary link 61 assures that the spring force will continue to act substantially :axially of the housing 10 even when the staff is tilted to its most severe angle so that adequate leverage is always maintained. Just as in the iirst embodiment, the formation of the base portion 50 assists in guiding the stati back to upright position with the annular shoulder 57 seated upon the open end of the housing.

The foregoing detailed description is given forclearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A yielding support for vehicle hoselines, comprising: a tubular housing having an open upper end portion with an annular seat and a lower end portion provided with a number of peripherally spaced slots; a base plate mounted in the lower portion of the tubuiar housing and provided with securing means for attaching said tubular housing to a vehicle platform, said base plate having a plurality of projecting, peripheral ngers each spaced to iit in one of said slots; a stalf having a base portion, said staff being tiltable relative to said housing with said base portion resting on said annular seat when the statiis in upright position; a follower positioned adjacent said base plate inthe lower portion of thetubularhousina a link ioiniusthe follower .to the staff; and a compression Spring disposed in 4said tubular housing and bearing between said follower and the upper end portion of the tubular housing to permit yielding tilting movement of said stati Vfrom upright position, s aid spring normally maintaining the follower-in position adjacent said base plate to maintain the ngers of the base plate in the slots of the tubular housing prior to attachment of the support to a vehicle platform.

,2. A yielding support as specified 1in claim l in which the base plate has three peripheral lingers and thehousing has three corresponding slots, Vone of the slots being longitudinally longer than the other two, an adjacent pair `o f said liingers having their extremities spaced apart a Vdistance less than the diameter of the housing so that said pair of ngers can be readily inserted in said other two slots from within said housing and the third nger can be inserted in said elongated slot.

3. A yielding support for vehicle hose lines, comprising: a tubular housing adapted to be secured to a platform on the vehicle and being provided with an open upper end affording a narrow annular seat; a staff tiltable relative to the housing and having a base portion positioned on said seat of the housing when the staff is in upright position and pivoting on said seat when the v staff is tilted, said base portion having a lower end extending downwardly into the housing and terminating in a depending peripheral wall to afford an annular pick-up surface, said depending peripheral wall defining a recessed chamber in said lower end; a connecting link flexibly secured at one end within said recessed chamber to the base portion of the staff so as to be substantially axially immovable and having its other end extending axially downwardly therefrom into the tubular housing when the staff is in upright position, said link being of such length and the annular pick-up surface being constructed and positioned relative to said link so that during tilting of the stad through an acute angle with respect to the housing, the pick-up surface cooperatively engages the link in its medial portion and swings the other end of the link transversely of the housing in an arcuate path directed opposite to the direction of tilting and upwardly past the open end of the housing to afford a projecting lever arm for forces tending to urge the stati toward upright position; and spring means disposed in said tubular housing and being iiexibly joined to said other end of the link to exert progressively increased forces on said other end as the link swings upwardly during increased tilting of the stai, said link and spring means thereby affording an increasing moment of force urging the stati toward upright position as tilting of the staff is increased.

4. A yielding support as specified in claim 3, in which the connecting link is in the form of a chain link and a bearing plate is provided encircling and reinforcing the medial portion of the chain link, Said bearing plate afford.- ing a surface for engagement with the annular pick-up surface of the peripheral wall during tilting of the stal.

5. A yielding support for vehicle hose lines as specied in claim 3, in which the base portion has a laterally extending peripheral shoulder spaced downwardly from the seat on the housing whereby during tilting of the staff said peripheral shoulder will abut the seat on the housing and afford a secure pivot for the base portion on the housing seat.

6. A yielding support for vehicle hose lines, comprising: a tubular housing adapted to be secured to a platform on the vehicle and being provided with an open upper end affording a narrow annular seat; a staff tiltable relative to the housing and having a base portion positioned on said seat of the housing when the staff is in upright position and pivoting on said seat when the staff is tilted, said base portion having a lower end extending downwardly into the housing and terminating in a depending peripheral wall to aord an annular. pick-up surface, said depending peripheral wall defining a revwhen the stati is in. upright position, said connecting means being positioned so that during tilting of the staff through an acute angle with respect to the housing, the pick-up surface cooperatively engages and moves said connecting means transversely of the housing in a direction opposite to the direction of tilting and upwardly past the open end of the housing to afford increased leverage for forces tending to urge the staff toward upright position; and spring means disposed in said tubular housing and being exibly joined'to said other end of the cony8 necting means to exert progressively increased forces on the connecting means during increased tilting of the stal whereby the connecting means and spring means aiord increasing moments of force urging the stal toward 'upright' position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 903,242 Thayer Nov. l0, 1908 1,313,616 Walsh Aug. 19, 1919 1,435,363 Wood Nov. 14, 1922 2,652,266 Miller Sept. 15, 1953 2,670,917 Hoiman Mar. 2, 1954 2,724,996 OShei Nov. 29, 1955 

